Chemical Spill Danger And Their Affect On Rivers

Do you have any idea how many chemicals are transported over our nation’s highways each and every day? The number is quite staggering. Have you ever wondered what would happen (and does happen) when a chemical spill makes its way into our water supply? Take it from us, these chemicals ultimately make their way into all of our drinking water.

Whenever there are chemicals being used or transported, there is a chance of a chemical spill. We as a society have somehow learned only to associate the thoughts of a chemical spill with something big. Regardless of the size of the spill it will need to be taken care of immediately.

When there has been a chemical spill, there are methods and procedures that need to be done. These procedures need to be executed quickly. A chemical spill that is not gotten under control immediately can cause problems that may cause damage for years to come. Also, the damage from the chemical spill may not show up right away.checkout website here!

Recently, there was a chemical spill in Visalia California which required a very large clean up effort. How did such a thing occur? Well, come to find out the employee wasn’t licensed to operate a forklift, and he hadn’t had the proper safety courses. What did all of this add up to? That’s right, a spill that has far and wide reaching effects. Luckily, most fire departments are versed in hazardous material spill clean up. However, the possibility of an accident like that happening, and those chemicals making their way into our bodies, is quite real.

One of the main concerns with any chemical spill is if the spill has made its way into the drinking water. The ground can absorb chemical spills and find its way into people’s private wells as well as into the drinking water for entire towns. And as mentioned above, this may not be evident right away. It may take it years for the results of the spill to even show up in the water. And of course once it has shown up it is often because people have become ill.

In addition to these spills getting into drinking water, they can also make the air around the spill toxic. And with many chemicals there is a possibility of fires or explosions. In some cases, the air will be so full of the vapors that the fire or explosions will be deadly.

Some chemicals are stored in drums and barrels; often these will have a catch pan pallet under them. Other chemicals are stored in large storage tanks. Often these tanks are placed inside a berm. What the berm is made from and lined with will depend on the chemical that is being held in the storage tank. These berms are designed to catch leaks and spills if the storage tanks start to leak or overflow. These preventive measures are in place, and they do what they are supposed to do when they are built properly.